Magritte - For Real @ MoMA

The mystifying & beguiling Belgian Surrealist painter, Rene Magritte, has been given a delightful exhibit at the MoMA.  "The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926-38, is an assemblage of some of his most familiar & iconic works.  Then again, looks are deceiving; the point being, to really LOOK.  Magritte's work is both whimsical & macabre.  It is beautiful & repugnant.  It's disconcerting to have an eye looking back at you from a slice of ham on a plate.  The eyes whose corneas reflect celestial landscapes are haunting.  Take note of the painting of a young girl gouging her teeth into a bird. This evokes both pleasure and cruelty.  His paintings have a dreamlike quality and an eerie nightmarish pall.  Limbs and features morph into the bizarre.  Curtains both reveal & mask the unknown, captivating the viewer.  Matisse paints serene & bucolic landscapes and oceans & horizons on the verge of a tempest.   I'm enamored with his painting "The Lovers" where a couple are kissing between cloths covering their separate faces.  "The Human Condition" shows an easel with a landscape painting in front of a window which seems to fit into the outdoors like a piece in a puzzle.  This show is fun to experience & ponder.  Magritte demands we look at things we overlook and to really be observant.  Magritte's works are deceiving & magical.  Of course, what we perceive is ephemeral & forever changing.  I was bewitched, bothered & bewildered, for real.   I tip my bowler hat to Magritte.  My tip to you is not to miss this Surreal Show.

NYPhil. Open Rehearsal/Bronfman, Piano

Just as my 1st day at the ballpark augurs spring, my 1st attendance @ the NYPhil.'s open rehearsal portends fall.  Thursday, Conductor Gilbert led the NY Phil. in Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.  It doesn't getter any better or more representative of NYC, snap snap!  The grammy winning piano master, Yefim Bronfman performed Tchaikovsky's romantic & thrilling Piano Centerto #1 in B-flat minor.  It was a magnificient morning that was as glorious as the weather outside.  I did not stay to hear Ravel's Alborada del gracioso but I certainly got my money's worth ($18) for 2 hours of uplifting music.  I have already purchased my ticket for one of the rehearsals next week featuring Beethoven's Symphony #9 and a U.S. Premier of Mark-Anthony's Choral, Turnage.  The 2013 fall season has been heralded in for the Big Apple.  

50th Annv. March on Washgtn, John Lewis/Harry Belafonte

Wed. night @ 92ndY, there was a special evening to commemorate the historic Civil Rights March with 4 men who were key orchestrators:  John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Clarence Jones & Julian Bond.  I was excited to hear from John Lewis, the only living person to have spoken where Dr. MLK gave his "I Have Dream Speech."  It was a great disappointment to me & many in the audience when informed  Mr. Lewis would not be present; he was tied up with Congress in D.C.  Nevertheless, the 3 men present were integral to the civil rights movement and were present alongside  MLK.  Mr. Jones was the only one on the panel I was not acquainted.  Unfortunately, I did not benefit from his dominance in the discussion .  Those matters aside, the evening was monumentous, enlightening & awe inspiring.  Bond & Belafonte admitted 'they did not perceive the vast magnitude & powerful impact the March would achieve."  In fact, they felt a great deal of "anxiety as to the success & turnout of the gathering on D.C."  The trepidations of JFK & Hoover were astonishing.  Immense security & militia& undercover F.B.I. agents were aligned by JFK in anticipation of an outbreak of violence.  I was reminded that the historian & Civil Rights leader, W.E.B. Dubois passed away that morning.  What's note worthy in reflecting back on this iconic event is the honoring of those present & many thousands who sacrificed for the advancement & justice for African Americans. We cannot afford nonchalance and must continuously commit to the equal treatment of all Americans, regardless of race, religion or social orientation.  The Q&A's were earnest.  One stemmed from an 11th grader who questioned the panel's views on the Trayvon Martin verdict.  "It was the murder of young, black youth whose killer was protected under unlawful laws," J. Bonds.  A 4th grader asked "How does it feel to have made a difference?"  Brilliant question and one we all need to ask ourselves.  "Change requires patriotic treason." (J. Bond)

The Winslow Boy-"Fine Ole Rumpus"

The Winslow Boy @ American Airlines Theatre is a revival of one of the many successful Terrence Rattigan's plays.  The play is set in London, 1912.  A young disheartened boy enters his family home unexpectedly as he was to be @ boarding school.  The young lass, Ronnie, "That Winslow Boy," has been expelled from his prestigious military academy for stealing.   Despite his ignoble circumstances, he adamantly maintains his innocence for which he receives the unflagging support of his parents & siblings.  The play is period piece just prior to the breakout of WWI.  The older sister, Catherine, is a woman with modern ideas.  She is a staunch suffragette and advocate for female equality.  Catherine's ideals were somewhat ahead of her time but the play's timeless theme is "Let right be done."  The battle with achieving justice & the common good is weighed heavily against individual sacrifices.  Add, to the intriguing legal battle, familial bonds, unrequitted love and burgeoning romantic love.  "Facts are brutal."  The facts remain, the quest for great theatre is served in The Winslow Boy.

C.O.G. is OMG Awful

The film, C.O.G. is based on a story by award winning author & humorist, David Sedaris, is a horrible mess.  The movie shifts and non to swiftly, from comedy to social commentary to Christian proselytizing.  The movie shares Jaden Smith's philosophy; you become more intelligent by dropping out of school.  Samuel, a.k.a. David (Jonathan Gruff) is traveling cross country by bus with everykind of everyman wacko in the world.  He is told by an ex-con that Christ & religion are the keys for redemption.  Samuel replies, "religions is for people who aren't smart enough to figure out how the world works."  Nothing in this movie works (except the humor on the bus ride from CT to OR.)  Wearing his Yale sweater & looking like a fresh faced preppy, Samuel seeks to take a break between getting his M.S. @ Yale & his Ph.D. by "getting his hands dirty."  So begins his unbelievable journey from aetheist to C.O.G.: Child of God.  Working manual labor he aspires to make himself fit in while maintaing a smug elitism.  He is pursued by a maniacal homosexual rapist and takes shelter with a crazed, born again, wounded vet who says "If you don't believe in anything what's left to believe in." Believe me, this movie is unbelievably terrible.

NYC Ballet's Swan Lake is to Die For

 The sheer beauty of Swan Lake is as alluring as always.  Somethings never loose their lustre.  This is  not my 1st or last time I will attend this ballet.  I was entirely enchanted by the music & dancing. I was  transported by the Company & charmed by the young dancers.  Tschaikovsky's score is timeless.  What?!?  Maestro Tschaikovsky's composition was not acceptable for the premier of Swan Lake in Moscow, 1877.  Incredulously, the conductor & lead ballerina were opposed to the great Maestro's glorious music and it was replaced for the performances.  This spurning of Tschaikovsky's music  shunned him from composing for ballet again until Sleeping Beauty, 1890 & The Nutcracker in 1892.  With the popularity of both & the death of Mr. Tschaikovsky in 1893, a resurgence of interest in his work prompted the production of Swan Lake with Tschaikovsky's original & most beloved score.  Swan Lake is a timeless work of great eminence. Such a pity the genius of Tschaikovsky composition for Swan Lake was not heralded in his lifetime.  The dancing of the dying swan moves me every time.

NYC Ballet Premiered 3 New Ballets

NYC premiered 3 ballets on Thursday along with Balanchine's Western Symphony, '54.  The theme of the evening was Fall for Fashion.  Each of the new ballet's were preceded by a short video showing the collaboration between choreographer & costume designer.  The videos spotlighted "fashion returns to New York City Ballet." I concur, costuming is a vital element in the culmutive art of ballet.  The choreographer needs to convey his vision to the costume designer and insure the costumes will not inhibit the dancers.  It appeared the choreographers directed the designers with too heavy a hand. Peck's ballet, Capricious Maneuvers, the costumes appeared raw & unfinished as did his ballet.   The ballet & the costumed were unpolished.  The dancing seemed was over before it began.  Benjamin Millepied's ballet, Neverwhere, I hope to see everywhere.  Millepied's brilliant ballets are at the forefront of the ballet world.  The dancing & musicality was spectacular; the highlight of the evening.  Unfortunately, the costumes were so extraordinary they were distracting.  The last premier, Spectral Evidence by Angelin Preljocaj, was out of this world.  The women were not on pointe which is hardly the point.  Preljocaj's staging/choreography was provocative, emotive & unique. While Capricious Maneuvers was too brief, Spectral Evidence would have benefitted from some editing.  The costumes by Oliver Theyskens for Spectral looked liked lame Halloween costumes on the women.  Balanchine's piece from '54 seemed a peculiar end to the contemporary program.  It is always exciting to view new works.  Definitely seek out Millipied's Neverwhere anywhere.   As to what the dancers wear, allow the designers to maintain center stage.

Wadjda-Saudi Women's Empowerment

Tonight while many of you are hoping to win the big powerball, know that as a woman born outside of Saudi Arabia and many middle Eastern nations, you already won the birth lottery.  Wadjda is a film about a young girl in Saudi Arabia who yearns to own a bicycle and ride freely.  The movie depicts the countless & unimaginable restrictions placed on women in the 21st C living in Saudi Arabia.  There are so many regulations that rather than innumerating them, I'll acknowledge. women are lower than 2nd class citizens; they are insignificant. Furthermore, they are subject to harsh punishments for slight infractions and subjected to force marriages at very young ages. Wadjda our young, defiant heroine is forever being made aware of lack of relevance she has in society & in her own family tree.  Women must be kept under wraps (literally & figuratively) from males at all times.  However, this film is a major advance for Saudi women.  Wadjda is the 1st feature film made by a Saudi woman and focused on the lives of women.  The entire film is shot in Saudi Arabia, a town that is barren except for cement or crumbling structures.  Despite depicting the stultifying lives of Saudi women, there are inroads being towards breaking down barriers.  Don't bemoan not being the big winner in tonight's drawing.  Celebrate our liberties not bestowed to women everywhere and ponder the odds of helping to empower these women.

The Metamorphosis @ Joyce-Mind Altering

The Metamorphosis, a Royal Ballet Production made its New York premier @ the Joyce Theatre. Based on Kafka's nightmarish novella of the same name, The Royal Ballet created a mesmerizing dance/theatric production.  Kafka's novella is considered 1 of the seminal fictional works of the 20thC.  The story described the nightmarish morphing of a working, family man into a hideous insect.  A literal interpretation is horrific.  As a metaphor for being stricken from a healthy human into someone fully dependent upon others for care is a pitiful & life altering tragedy.  The ingenious staging brings to life Kafka's haunting & distubing work. The production is both captivating & ghoulish.  Edward Watson performance as Gregor Samsa, the man turned insect is so remarkable as to leave one breathless.  Watson's transformation is a miraculous tour de force.  The creative choreography & direction mark a triumphant testament to the impact of powerful art.  The Metamorphosis can also be described as repellant & unsettling.  It is a work you may not choose to experience a 2nd time, but experience it, you must.

Pulitz Prize winner Alice McDermott @ Barnes/Nobel

Alice McDermott is an Amer. writer & winner of the Pulitzer & Natl's Book Award.  She has received 2 additional Pulitzer nominations.  McDermott is a writer of extraordinary talents.  She appeared @ the Barnes/Nobel on E 86th last Wed. to promote her latest book, SOMEONE.  SOMEONE is her 1st novel in 7 years since AFTER THIS.  I am an admirer of McDermott's work and was eager to hear her in person.  I'm also a bibliophile who bemoans the disappearance of bookstores.  A young pianist was playing as the crowd assembled.  McDermott was chatting amicably in the back & as she approached the speaker, stopped to kiss the piano man.  The piano man turned out to be her son.  Artistic talents obviously run in some families.  Having purchased SOMEONE, I was interested to learn what McDermott had to share with us.  She read aloud to us from her novel for more than a 1/2 hour.  After which did a short Q/A with the audience.  (Nabokov was the writer who most inspired her career.)  As much as I wish to support bookstores & current authors, this "someone" is literate and would prefer a dialogue with an author.  The few shallow, self-promoting audience questions were inane.  "After this," I'll refrain from attending author's book promotions and read to myself.

Without Instructions, Mexico's Kramer vs. Kramer

Without Instructions is a Mexican version of Kramer vs. Kramer with a spicy twist.  Eugenio Derbez (Valentin) wears many sombreros as the Dir., Screenwriter, Prod. & star of this bi-lingual tear jerking, comedy.  He is totally beguiling as the commitment phobic gigalo who raises the infant girl abandoned  by an ex-lover, Julie, (Jessica Lindsey) whose $10 cab fare ruse turns adios. Knowing only from an old letter/photo she lived in L.A., he goes in futile pursuit, illegally across the border.  As in the Disney hit, 3 Men & a Baby, the baby girl, Maggie, (Loreto Peralta) wins Valentin's heart and nary shall they part.  The "Disneyland" environment he's raised her in has its drawbacks.  This never never land her is too saccharin like all the treats giving me a toothache.  Maggie worships her father for whom she acts as translator.  Although her heroic father does death defying feats as a stuntman, he was incapable of learning English after 7 years living in L.A.  Happily ever after does not last.  Julie after 7 years wants in on her daughter's life.  The movie turns into a hot tamale version of "Kramer vs. Kramer." However, it is not without charm; particularily the devotion between father & daughter.  But, the movie goes bust like an overstuffed piñata.  I'd prefer $10 for a cab ride home.

MET's Textile Trade 15-1800, all tends to blend

The INTERWOVEN GLOBE, the MET's new exhibit on the global textile trade 1500-1800 is quite a history lesson.  In today's instantaneous, globally connected world, it is incredible to reflect on how far we've come from the ancient snail passed days of European maritime trade routes.  The exhibit presents the golden age of inter-continental trade; the beginnings of worldwide businesses.  Textiles became a major form of currency that influenced trades, cultures, styles, and politics.  As in many a history class, I tended to nod off.  After awhile, the plethora of tapestries began to blend & I began to yarn.. I mean yawn.  There were some pieces incorporating silk & metal threads that were spectacular.  The 2-sided, yellow & red large silk tapestry was extraordinary.  The skills involved in making the pieces on display are to be regarded with esteem.  However, I ran out of steam & enthusiasm for the show.  This would be an excellent field trip for a history class studying trade from 1500-1800.   Otherwise, I recommend you fold on seeking out this show.

Touchy Feely-Sticky Icky

Warning:  Don't start watching Touchy Feely or you will be stuck watching a film that will leave you feeling, yuck.  The talented cast including Rosemarie DeWitt, Ellen Page, Josh Pais & the always intriguing Allison Janney will ensnare you into the plot.  And, then leave you liking it, NOT!  Paul (Pais) is father to Jenny (Page) and sister to Abby (DeWitt).  Paul plays an emotionless dimwit dentist whose daughter, Jenny, cares for him @ home & @ work.  Abby is a masseuse who suddenly finds touching or being touched, repellent.  Paul's dying dental practise has a resurgence when he is credited with curing lockjaw.  Jenny pines for her aunt Abby's boyfriend and Bronwyn (Janney) is a wacky guru who manipulates people's energies & auras.  Don't waste your energy on this befuddling & out there in lah lah land film.

Short Term 12-Best Movie of the Year

There are few really exceptional movies that grip you for an emotional roller coaster and transcend reality.  Short Term 12 is such a movie.  It packs a visceral response that will stay with you long after the film.  The title refers to a group home for wayward teens who are physically & emotionally scarred.  Grace (Brie Larson) is the head of the group home where she co-works with her cohabiting lover (John Gallagher, Jr.)  The performances are so incredibly strong, not only from these 2 actors, but the entire cast of adolescents & adults that it is incredulous not to believe the acting stemmed from real life traumas.  I certainly hope not.  Regrettably, there is insurmountable abuse and cruelty in the world.  Thankfully, there are those who "accept and show someone what it's like to be loved."  And, with that care& support, obstacles can be overcome.  Marcus (Keith Stanfield) the frightened boy, about to turn 18 and then released from the home, rapped about his mother, "Not this time bitch. You ain't leaving me a choice. Wishing for something amazing in life not knowing what a normal life is like." Short term 12 will permanently meld to your heart.

"The Spectacular Now" is Perceptive Right Now!

The "young adult" film, "The Spectacular Now," is spectacular for both its acting & for its crucial message.  The acting by its two key actors, Shailene Woodley, (Aime) and Miles Teller, (Sutter) are both phenomenal and convincing.  Woodley played George Clooney's daughter in "The Descendants" and Teller played opposite Nicole Kidman in "The Rabbit Hole."The budding romance between Sutter, the popular screwed up h.s. senior & Aimee, a sincere but undistinguished sr. is poignant and credible.  I'm happy to report that Aimee was prepared to have sex providing Sutter with a condom, "it's better to be safe."  Another critical warning for teens & parents alike is not to drink & drive.  Parents, know where your kids are and what's going on in their lives.  Sutter masks his alcoholism beneath his charm & winning personality.  However, this ruse does him & others a terrible disservice as his drinking spirals out of control.  In today's headlines, Matthew Cordle, 22, admitted to the media his culpability for the fatal crash of Canzani after a night of "drinking really heavily" and leaving the scene of the accident.  The movie captures today's high school students.  Young people tend to believe their immortal and "live in the moment."  Make the time to see this thoughtful and touching film.  Cordle ends his public confession by "begging others not to drink & drive."  Living in the moment is "awesome," but be responsible and build a future.

Joy to the World, see IN a WORLD

The delightful & hilarious film, IN a WORLD, takes us into the world of voice overs.  The movie is written by & starring Lake Bell.  Bell is one talented writer/actress who I hope to hear more from in the future.  The movie uses the business of voice overs like backup singers for the real heart of the film.  Love, family ties, family feuds & rivalries are at the epicenter of this laugh out loud comedy.  Bell plays Carol, a 30 something woman still coach surfing on her family's sofas.  She begins to make waves  when she starts nabbing jobs.  Especially perturbed is her father, an icon in the world of voice overs. However, there is not a rotten apple in the barrel or false note.  Every character adds charm & wit to a sparkling script that conveys the humor & depth of relationships.  "Sister code," I'll have to go over that  line.  Be sure to check out all the celebrities in quaint cameos.  "Everybody wants to rule the world."  This movie gives you somthing to talk about; it rules, like totally.

Doc. BLACKFISH paints shame & blame

The tragic death of Dawn Brancheau, a trainer @ Sea World, by a killer whale is a tragedy swamped in cruelty, shame & inhumanity.  Unfortunately, Dawn was not the 1st individual to die in a whale's confined tank, nor is it likely she will be the last.  We must ask, how long does this travesty of confining whales for "entertainment" need to continue?  The answer is that it must stop, immediately!   This deeply disturbing documentary interviews former Sea World trainers whose remorse for the heinous treatment of whales is palpable.  There is also deep sadness for their peers killed doing their jobs, but, there is also an empathy for the whale's behaviors.  One trainer said "looking into the eye of a killer whale is overwhelming, inspiring and amazing."  Working with these animals "builds a relationship of helping each other."  Today these trainers would tell you that these great mammals are meant to live freely in the oceans, not confined to "prisons" where their normal life expectancy is drastically cut short.  Those who captured these whales also expressed deep remorse.   A captain who captured baby whales to sell to Sea World admitted teary eyed, "what we did was amoral."  A neuropsychologist studying the brains of whales testified to their keen emotional & social development & communication skills.  BLACKFISH the doc. film is not entertainin it is grueling.  However, do not diminish the significance of its message.  Killer whales at Sea World is NOT entertaining. It is pure  torment for these amazing creatures.  "Perhaps in 50 years we will look back & realize how barbaric we were."  This is not acceptable.  Stop going to Sea World now to see these incredible mammals being tortured.